• Kachemak Bay Research and Reserve Green Crab Community Monitoring 
Program, Prince William Sound Science Center, AK DFG, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and local communities. This program 
provides a protocol for schoolchildren to learn the biology of green crabs in order to do 
monitoring work. 
A.3.3. CLIMATE CHANGE CONCERNS 
• Alaska’s aquatic invasive species (AIS) plan predicts an increase in invasive species as 
warmer temperatures allow for overwintering. Species of concern include: the mitten 
crab, yellow perch, and walleyed pike. 
• The state is conducting a risk assessment study for the Chinese mitten crab, because 
climate change will most likely result in the migration of this species to Alaska. 
• Water temperatures have warmed to the point where shellfish could survive through the 
winter season, resulting in a shellfish outbreak. 
• State officials are also concerned with species moving from one part of the state to 
another. 
A.3.4. CLIMATE CHANGE ACTIONS 
• Alaska’s ANS Management Plan focuses on prevention and identification of the most 
prominent threats. The management plan recognizes that the southern areas with “warmer 
climate, more developed lands, more disturbed habitat, and better road access” are areas 
of particular concern. Alaska’s ANS plan identifies ports with high traffic as posing 
greater risk. 
• The Weed Ranking Project provides a way to prioritize work. The project ranks both non¬ 
native species present in the state and those species that are likely to invade Alaska due to 
climate change. A “climate match” program loosely associates species with one of 
Alaska’s ecosystems (maritime, boreal, or arctic) to address these concerns. 
A.3.5. RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION USED 
• Regional Alaskan groups are monitoring for green crab and, where found, setting traps as 
a control method. 
• Proposals for mapping and inventorying of reed canary grass have been developed. 
• Research on the effects of rats on the ecosystem through local projects and case studies, 
including examining the effects of rats on intertidal invertebrates and soil composition 
and testing rodenticides is needed. 
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